Don Helms 6- String Tuning and Tabs?

[Mark Helm]

Can someone tell me what Don Helms tuning was for those classic Hank Williams songs?

And is it true he only used 6 strings and no slants?

Does anyone have tabs for those songs (apart from the book on Amazon). I'm thinking of buying it, but the description is a tad confusing.

It says: "Don never used the E13th tuning as we know it. He had the 7th and 8th strings tuned to C# and A, and he never once used a slant bar position! The solo book can be played on the 6 or 8 string guitar as Don never used the 7th and 8th strings in this book." Well, if he never used the 7th and 8th strings, why were they tuned to C# and A? See? Confusing.

Thanks!

[David Rattray]

Mark it is true that he used mostly the top six strings the tab in this teaching book shows that however I am pretty sure he used the 7&8 strings and slants at times..he was no slouch on his playing on old Williams tunes a lot if not most was played above the 12th fret..getting this instruction book will bring you that much closer to his and only his sound as he recorded these old tunes....always remember of all the other artists only Don sounded like Don ...best...

[John Chadwick]

The Don Helms book is excellent, and comes with recorded tracks that I accessed online and downloaded into my itunes. Each song in the book has two corresponding tracks to play along with, one with the steel parts, and another with the singing minus the steel parts.

For the tuning, I initially tried the E13 six string set, see link below.

This made it very easy to learn the tab and play along.

However, on my Gretsch Electromatic, that tuning and those strings sounded too high and too thin to my ears. They worked great for the Hank songs, butnafter a few months, I was compelled to change them. That's just my personal opinion. It might work great on a different instrument or in the hands of someone with better technique than me.

I went back to a regular c6 tuning, and am now working my way through the book, adjusting the fret positions so I can play in C6.

Here is the link to the E13 set. https://www.stringsbymail.com/sit-sc6e1 ... 22979.html

[Jeff Mead]

if he never used the 7th and 8th strings, why were they tuned to C# and A? See? Confusing.

I don't think it is the case that he literally never used the 7th and 8th strings but probably very rarely. Almost all of his playing was on the top 6.

I think he treated of that neck almost as 2 different tunings - an E6 on the top 6 strings and an A major triad on the bottom 3.

I suspect he never used the 7th and 8th as part of the extended E6 chord which is what they meant when they said he didn't use E13 "as we know it".

[Scott Rogers]

I have the same book and it pretty much gives you the foundation of how Don played the Hank stuff. I like to try and blend both Don's and Jerry Byrd's styles in my playing.

On the slant note (), check out this clip at around the 1:00 min mark, on that turn around, it sure looks like a slant to me,, and that's how I play it as well. however I've seen Don play it without slants too.

https://youtu.be/bjCoKslQOEs